Fulcrum and method of making the same



Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

STATEfl CARL E. BAUER,OF HAMMOND, INDIANA.

IEULCRUM AND METHOD or MAKING THE SAME,

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial No. 417,638.

To a'ZZ whom it may concern; I Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Hammond, in the county of'Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Fulcrum and Method of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brake beam fulcrums and particularly to a novel method of forming the same.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a fulcrum which may be very cheaply constructed and which shall possess all the strength and rigidity necessary in devices of this sort. It is customary to provide in the strut or fulcrum which separates the compression and tension members of a beam, means such as spaced apart bars providing a bearing for a brake rod pivot,

flanges or feet for attachment to the com pression member and an eye, saddle'or seat for the rod tension member. In the fulcrum of my invention the improvement resides in the method of forming the eye or seat. In the improved construction of my invention the fulcrum is formed by first making small, spaced apertures near the middle of a flat bar, then doubling the bar on itself on a line midway between the two apertures, bringing the apertures into register and the adjacent portions of metal into contact, the remainder of the fulcrum being suitably shaped to perform the desired function. Subsequently the double-thick end of the fulcrum is heated and forged to increase the size of the opening and flare the sides thereof, and laterally expand the metal which surrounds the aperture. This provides a strong and rigid seat and is produced by a single forging operation.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and edge views of the bar which I employ;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the fulcrum following the doubling operation;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the fulcrum following the forging operation; and

Figs. Gand 7 are views taken at right angles to each other through the forging dies by means of which the desired result is secured.

In the drawings it will be seen that the bar, such as shown in Fig. 1, is provided with relatively. small, spaced. apertures 10. Thereafter the bar is doubled upon itself on a line substantially midway between the apertures, thus forming intermediate spaced apart portions 11 having apertures 12 for a brake rod pin and angular projections 13 by meansof which the fulcrum is secured to compression member. v

The portions 141 of metal adjacent the apertures 10 are brought into contact and are subsequently heated to a forging temperature after which the end is worked within lower and upper dies 15, 16, such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the lower die having a projection 17 the end of which is of a size to permlt it to enter the small registering apertureslO. The dies are so shaped that the opening is progressively enlarged to form the seat 18 having flaring or curved sides, as best shown in Fig. 4. The metal surrounding the aperture is likewise laterally expanded into symmetrical shape, the opening 18 being concentric therein, as best shown in Fig. 5. If the metal is heated to a welding temperature the thicknesses will be united but in any case suitable strength will be provided, due to the character of the fulcrum at this point.

Obviously the construction is capable of considerable modification and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims. I

I claim:

1. The method of forging brake beam fulcrums which consists in providing a flat bar, punching spaced apertures nearthe middle thereof, then doubling said bar on itself to bring said apertures into register, then enlarging said aperture and flaring the sides thereof and laterally spreading the metal around the aperture.

2. The method of making fulcrums for brake beams which consists in providing a flat bar of metal, punching relatively small openings near the middle thereof, then doubling the bar on itself to bring the apertures into register and the portions of metal adj acent the apertures into contact, then forging the double-thick end to enlarge the aperture and spread the metal surrounding the same. I

3. The method of forging fulcrums which consists in doubling a bar of metal on itself, providing attaching feet and spaced apart intermediate portions, the portions of metal near the bend being brought into contact and being provided With registering apertures, then forging the apertured end to enlarge the aperture and flare the metal surrounding the same.

4. The method of making fulcrums which consists in doubling a bar of metal on itself to bring the portions of metal adjacent the bend into engagement, providing registering apertures in the double-thick portion of metal, then forging said portions of metal to enlarge the aperture and provide a seat for a tension rod.

5. A brake beam fulcrum consisting of a single bar doubled on iteslf, the terminal portions of the bar being laterally bent to provide means of attachment to an angular compression member, the opposite end being compression member, the opposite end being punched to provide a tension rod seat, the metal surrounding said punched opening being flared to increase the bearing area, and the metal of said end being symmetrically disposed around said opening.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of October, 1920,

CARL E. BAUER. 

